The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-02-08
Effects or Neutrality-suspicious..

At this time, when the fisheries dispute is
at the height of lis interest, Mr.. r. E. Earle,
who Is in charge Of the fisheries department
of the government fish commission, has COM
pleted careful investigation of the relations
of the Canadian and American fishermen and
fish dealers Mr.. Earle has made a trip of
investigation along the New England coast,
and has made use of the answers to the cir
culars Of inquiry which Professor Baird sent
around. Mr.. Earle shows that Americans
are dependent upon Canada to very limited
extent, either for bait, fishing grounds or
anything else Without the three-mile limit
Americans have as good right to fish as the
Canadians themselves. As to the dependen-
cy OF Americans on the enjoyment of the
fishing grounds within that limit, Mr. Earle
has collected some interesting facts. "The
American fishermen" he says, with the
single exception of the offshore mackerel
fleet, have no desire to participate in the
fisheries within three or even 80 miles of the
Canadian coast" During tho years when
Americans were allowed by treaty to fish in
inshore waters they did not avail themselves
OF the opportunity. For the ten years pre-
ceding 1886 herring have been much more
abundant on our own coast than in preyin-
cial waters, and the number of American
vessels fishing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
grew constantly smaller until in 1881 only
two American vessels ished in that locality
and the following season the number was re-
duced to single vessel, the remainder of the
fleet, numbering upward of 800 sail, fishing
exclusively off the New England coast. The
New England food fish fleet consists at pres
ent of about 1880 sails. OF these about $50
vessels are engaged in miscellaneous shore
and off-shore mackerel fisheries, 200 in the
cod fisheries on Quereau, Grand and Western
Banks, 165 in the cod fisheries on Georges
and Browns Banks and 65 in the off-shore
hallbut fisheries. OF this entire fleet only
those vessels engaged in the off-shore cod
and halibut fisheries have ever been in the
habit of purchasing bait in the provinces So
the bait question is really narrowed down to
the fleet of 200 sail employed in fishing for
cod on Grand, Quereau and Western
Banks. OF these about 40 belong to
Gloucester, Mass, and the remaining
l6O are owned at various other fishing
ports of Maine and Massachusetts,.
Mr.. Earle has found that very large pro-
portion of Gloucester owners agree, all
things considered, that it would be better for
these vessels to take salt bait from home
than to spend the time necessary in running
frequently into Canadian ports for supplies
Of fresh bait. This also is the opinion of
many owners in Portland and other ports in
Maine. Convinced that these facts show a
practical independence of the American fish
ermen OF all fayors of Canada, Mr.. Earle
makes this prediction of the effects of an act
OF non-intercouse with Canada so far as the
fishermen are concerned: 'sIt would not
only put new life into our fisheries. bur
would rapidly increase the number and size
OF the vessels employed, thus aagmenting
the number of sailors which would be avail
able in case of emergency. On the other
hand it could not but result seriously to Can
ada, and indirectly to Great Britain as well.
for with our poi is closed Canada would find
great difficulty in disposing of her catch, and
her fishing feet as well as the sailors avail
able for war would of necessity be very
greatly reduced"